Improvement in machines for cleaning sisal hemp and stripping seed from broom-corn



UNITE l ,Es

' GEO. n. ALLEN, OE KEY WEST, FLORIDA.

INIFNOVEIVIENT IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING SISAL HEMP AND STRIPPING SEED FROM BROOM-CORN.

4Speelfication forming part of Letters Patent o. 12;@72. dated March 12'555.v

Tof a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.- Be it known that I, GEORGE D. ALLEN, of' Key West, in the county of Monroe and State Vof Florida, have invented new and useful Machine'for Separating the' Pulp fr'omSisal Hemp, the Seed fromBroom-Corn, andfor other Purposes; and I do hereby declare that thesame'is described and represented in the following specification and drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de-` l scribe its construction and use, referring to the drawings, in 'which the same letters indicate like parts in each ofthe figures;

Figure lis an elevation of the front end. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side.

The nature of my invention consists in a 'series of yielding prongs, which may be made elastic or otherwise, so constructed and arranged as to stand aproper distance apart when the material to be operated upon is inserted, when the may be pressed together by va spring or weig t, or both, or suchother device, as will press the prongs together and con-` tinue to' clo'se :them as the material drawn through diminishes in4 thickness, so as to reofthe platform, (around the mortise,') as repyresented in- Fig..2, where the edge ofthe plat- 'formis' represented'. as 4broken away to' showV the other parts 'more clearly. The prongs C C are made in the form represented-that is,with the front'edge thinner thanthe back-and they are also madethinner between lthe platform and bar E, so-asto spring and' vibrate freelyV ,j whenused, and tapered where-they come to-v gether atthelower'ends, sofas to stand about halfanincli openfat the bar F.- The front and back edges :and'thes'ide of one lof the middle prongs, Q', are.rep1"es`ented in Fig. 3. The platform 'and-prongs are perforated forv the rod-E, which passes v'through them, and is provided" with screw-nuts'a a at each end ofthe rod. It is also provided with a shoulder at a proper 'distancefrom the nut a, to press against and vhold one of the prongs C iu its proper. posi-- tion when the prongs are pressed together. The rod E is put through the platform-and prongs, and the nut a put on; then the tube b,- (which is longer than the thickness of the platform ontsi de of the mortise,) is put onto the rod E, and the nut a' is screwed on, so as to press the tube against the prongs, and the prongs together against the shoulder on the rod, as above mentioned, so as to holdthem all firmly, the ends of the prongs being made tapering around the holes d, as above mentioned. The bar F is held in therequired position by the braces H H and'l, (only one of the latter being represented in the drawings,) which-'are fastened or connected to the bar Fand platform A, as represented. This bar prevents the prongs from being drawn over while using the machine, and it may be'elevated or depressed to graduate the inclination of the prongs, as required, by turning the nuts e e on the braces I. vThe pivot f, upon whichv the spring-levers' J J vibrate, is fastened in the center of the bar F, and is provided with a screw-nut to secure the leversin their places.

may be made in the form represented, or in such other form as may be desirable, and theyf are connected by the links K K to the bar L under the platform, which ,baris fastened to ,the lend of the foot-lever M, which vibrates on the staple N, fastened into the platform, as represented. The leverM isprovided with a slot for the stem o f the weight O, which passes up and'throngh the spring'laand ris fastened by the nut t'. The lever M is providedowith scores for the lowerend of. the spring h, so as to prey ventit from'slipping after the weight O is adjusted in the required position upon the lever M,`sofas to force the levers J J against the prongs and press them'togetlhen'as required, for thematerial operated upon by the machine.

The machine having been constructed and completed, as above described, and some leaves of the Agate Americana-sisal hemp-having been properly crushed'bybeingpassed through between two rollers; or Otherwise, so as' to soften the pulp of the leaves without breaking or cutting the berftheo erator seizes one end of the leaves, (the bu t should he preferred,) andat the same time depresses the lever M` with his foot,so as to allow the prongs These levers J J vparts between the prongs and raises his foot,

` the prongs upon the leaves while he vdraws 'on the'lever M until a portion'of the seedisremoved. He can then remove his vfoot and y.the prongs may be made still'` and allowed a. little play on the rod E, and opened by some to spring open. He then inserts the opposite so as to allow the weight and levers J J to close complete it. y A l Y Although I' prefer prongs made in the forni described for cleaning sisal hemp, and perhaps for some other purposes, yet' I' contemplate, making them of such forni and-of such nia terial as may be best adapted for the purposes to which they` are to 'beapplied; also, that kind` of spring or other device, so asto insert thematerial to be. operated upon; or, if left V sufficientlyloose, the material may be made to p separate them as it is inserted between them. I have described the processes of separating the pulp from sisal hemp, the seed from broomcorn, and I expect to apply my invention to such other uses and purposes as may be dcsi'rable.l

.Y I further contemplate that my invention may be modied invarious ways which readily suggest themselves to intelligent mechanics,

sofas to adaptit to the Various purposes' for which it may be used to advantage, without departing from the principles cr merits of my said invention.

What, I claim asniy invention, and desire to secure byLettersPatent, is-

The combination of ytheprongs C, varranged substantially' as described, with the springleversG G, or their equivalents, .constructed and operated substantiallyin the manner and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at the` city of 'Nexv York, in the` county and State of N eW York, this'the 2d day Iof December, A. D.,1854.

GEORGE D. ALLEN."

' Femm; SEELY, J. G. EMERY. 

